


Searching the Night Sky for a Shooting Star

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aerith Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Zack Lives, Blood and Injury, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Past Character Death, Pregnancy, Sex Talk, Temporary Character Death, Zack and Aerith Fan Children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-09 20:49:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11676816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: Second chances, reigniting old flames and a lesson to live life to it's fullest when at all possible, especially when it's temporary.Prompt: Zack and Aerith come back from the dead - but only temporarily. Could be a day, could be a month, could be a year - whatever you want to do. What do they do?





	1. Zack Fair, Survivor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Larissa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larissa/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Zack and Aerith come back from the dead - but only temporarily. Could be a day, could be a month, could be a year - whatever you want to do. What do they do?
> 
> I was so, so tempted to do the future!prompt but I wanted a challenge and to do something I'd never done before so Zack POV it was for me. I'm incorporating elements of the other prompts as best I can to give a wider picture. 
> 
> Enjoy~ 
> 
> CAVEAT: Zack's a soldier as well as a SOLDIER and soldiers curse. He may not say it out loud so much (thanks to Angeal drilling it into him) but internal Zack has a potty-mouth like no other.

* * *

Zack blinked and he was surrounded, not in the LifeStream—as he'd come to expect—but by _water_. 

He kicked to the surface, breaking it with a painful gasp. Zack's strokes brought him to the edge of the water and he hauled himself out onto... wooden floor? He breathed in a rush of flowers, which told him where he was before he even finished. 

Only one place with flowers in all of Midgar; Aerith's church in Sector Five. 

Zack rolled over onto his back, only to gawk at the completely collapsed roof and the enormous hole that showed crystal clear evening sky. The kind Zack remembered Midgar not having in its entire existence. What the hell had happened since he'd died?!

* * *

Eventually, Zack's body-Holy Typhoon, he was _alive_!-complained the only way available to it; his stomach growled. 

He looked for a weapon because he knew he didn't have Gil and he needed something to help him kill monsters. 

... If there were any left. He really needed to figure out how much time had passed. 

Zack found the Buster Sword, meticulously cleaned, oiled and reverently placed in the center of the flowers across the pond he'd found himself a moment ago. He staggered upright and shuffled along the wall, taking care not to step on Aerith's flowers. She'd be mad at him even if she was in the LifeStream. 

She'd worked so hard for her flowers. Zack brushed his fingertips against a lily just to see it bounce back into place. 

He slowly pulled the Buster Sword out and noticed that the sword wasn't buried in dirt, it was cradled in an intricate sheath of steel that locked a quarter of the way down the enormous blade. 

Zack tapped his back to see if he still had the harness and he sighed in relief as he found one. 

Okay then. Time to see the world and what happened to it.

* * *

The Buster brought a lot of attention, wanted or not. Zack did too and it was... disorienting. 

It was like _they'd never seen a SOLDIER First_ in their entire lives. 

Zack also noticed that Midgar was so thoroughly destroyed that only one thing came to mind; Meteorfall. 

He was met at the end of the road by someone in a red cloak and a woman in black leather that niggled at the back of his brain as familiar. He just couldn't put a name to her face. 

The woman swore when she saw him and not in Common. She looked him over with disbelieving eyes and the red cloak was tugged back to reveal an enormous gun. 

Oh shit. 

Zack held up his hands, fingers splayed wide in the universal position of surrender. 

"... What is your name?" The red cloaked man, now that Zack was paying attention to his enhanced senses, asked slowly. 

"SOLDIER First Class Fair," he answered clearly. "My friends call me Zack. At least, they would if I had any left." 

Cloud would totally back him up, if he was here. 

"That's _**bullshit**_. Who are you really?" The woman spat angrily. 

"I really am Zack Fair. Born to Alric an' Francesca Fair 'n raised in Gongaga-" The stricken expression on the woman's face had his own falling as he continued, "My best friends were Angeal Hewley and Cloud Strife, who, if I'm remembering right, is one kickass hero to you folks." Zack finished with a hopeful smile. 

"If you really are him, what's my name?" The woman challenged. 

Zack tapped his foot, removed the Buster and started doing squats as he worked on the problem, causing her to inhale sharply. He mulled it over and a visual of her, though much younger, popped up. "Umm, please don't take this the wrong way but did you used to wear a pair of cowboy boots and a really weird outfit? Tee-no-oh yeah! Tifa, right? Oh. Shit. Seph... You got stabbed, I got stabbed and then... Cloud." 

What a mess. 

Tifa was looking at him with a mix of pity and understanding. 

He picked the Buster up, spun her out of habit and tucked her against his back with a click. 

"How long have I been gone?" Zack asked, knowing that the answer wasn't a good one. 

"Five years, SOLDIER First Class Fair." The man in the red cloak responded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	2. Cloud Strife, Best Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I split it up because some scenes need to be separated for impact, like this one. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

They brought him to a bar, one that-despite his years missing-still had the same name. 

"Hey, it's still standing!" He chirruped, looking at the sign he'd helped paint. "I named it, y'know. Guy was so flustered and he asked me to help. If you wanted to believe the guy, I think he said I owned half the bar once..." 

Tifa pulled up short at that. "You named the bar?" 

"Uh-huh and helped put up the sign. His handwriting was _atrocious_." Zack grinned and she blinked. Opening the door brought with it a familiar head of hair. "Spikey!" 

"Zack... No. You're—" was all Cloud managed before Zack swept him into a bear hug.

"Ah man, Spikey, you got so tall! Look at you, all grown up and stuff... I gotta say your sword is a bit much, kiddo, even for me. You kept the Buster all nice though I can swear it's only recently been oiled. Did you leave it in the rain? Ang would be so **pissed** if you left it to rot-Oh." Cloud started sobbing into his shoulder. Zack carefully unhooked the Buster to set her against the wall as he cradled Cloud close to him. " _Oh Cloud_." 

"We found him wandering near Aerith's church, Cloud," the red cloaked man informed Cloud, the slow, steady inhales near Zack's throat the only evidence that he was aware. 

"... Why are you wet, Zack?" Cloud whispered. 

"Well, one second I was in the LifeStream, next second, I'm swimming in that neat little pond that's in the middle of Aerith's flowers. You, uh, you wouldn't happen to have fucked with the flowers?" He answered seriously. 

"Not on purpose. Sephiroth had clones and _he_ fucked them up." Cloud offered dryly and Zack snorted. "I bet Aerith's beating his ass with her staff in the LifeStream." 

_There_ was his Cloud, quiet sarcasm and unending sweetness beneath the prickly exterior he liked to put up like a wall.

"Are you... happy?" He found himself asking. "Really happy." 

"Yeah. I'm working on it." Cloud was honest, sky-blue eyes without a trace of guile. "You can ask Aerith, maybe, when you... How long are you here for?" 

"I honestly couldn't tell you that, Spike. What I can tell you is that because I am very much real, I'm-" 

The loud gurgle that his stomach couldn't contain had Cloud chuckling so softly Zack almost didn't hear it. "Now that I remember. You were always hungry." 

"Feed me?" 

"Sure... Puppy." Mirth made Cloud's eyes glow all the brighter. 

"Hey!" Zack pouted and Cloud actually laughed, startling the other two still in the room with them.

* * *

Zack tucked into the food and polished all of it off in under twenty minutes. 

"Ahhh. Cloud, you lucky sonofagun, you got one hell of a partner," he complimented and Tifa flushed. 

"Just punch him. It's easier for him to understand," Cloud muttered as he kicked at Zack under the table. 

"Wha-Spike! Don't tell me..." 

Tifa flushed again and this time Cloud _did_ punch his arm. "We only..." 

"Oh. My bad, Spike, it's just that you two move like A... Like we used to, y'know? Like you've been together a while." Zack absently rubbed at his chest, trying to ease the ache in his heart about Aerith. 

It wasn't fair-hah-that Aerith had to stay in the LifeStream while Zack got a second chance, no matter how small. 

"We lived together, at first," Tifa offered. Zack listened patiently, knowing how reluctant a Nibelheim native could get when pressed for information. "It worked for a while but then," Geostigma and Sephiroth again and then the mess that followed that. 

Zack knew a lot more than people thought he did; he knew people, knew them down to their emotional cores. It was why he'd been friends with everyone, even the great Silver General—no matter how stupid it'd seemed at the time to everyone else. 

"Yeah. I'm glad you're together. You work really well." He said and meant it.

Tifa gave him a shrewd, thoughtful look as she sat next to him. "You need rest. Cloud's got a bed you can sleep on." 

"Mmm," Zack stretched and yeah, he was sore and achy and sleepy, "sounds like a good idea." 

"Goodnight Zack. Sleep well; I'll most likely kill you in the morning." Cloud murmured and Tifa and the red cloak man looked at him like he was off his rocker. 

"As you wish." He replied with a laugh of his own as he explained, "It's an inside joke."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	3. Hindsight and Last Stands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild Aerith appears! Zack drops some wisdom and witnesses some cute. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Zack nuzzled back into the pillow with a sigh as he stretched. "Mmm, five more minutes..." 

Yesterday came flooding back with the force of Typhoon. 

He pinched himself and bit his lip to muffle his indignant noise when it hurt. 

Yup, still real. 

Zack yawned as he sat up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes to see a room piled in Cloud's things. 

Mechanic's tools were stacked on the desk along with pictures of Cloud and a group of his friends. AVALANCHE 3.0 had been the version to save the world, though versions one and two had sucked. 

He'd get to know them, if he had the time. 

Other pictures showed a pair of kids, a little boy that reminded him a lot of Cloud and a little girl with a ribbon that reminded him of Aerith. 

Zack looked at his uniform, clean and not full of holes. Zack'd stripped out of his stomach protector the night before so he peeled his shirt off to look in the tiny mirror. 

Thick scar tissue showed where he'd been hit during his last stand and quite a few of those scars appeared all the way through to his back. Whatever had brought him back decided to use his real body, what it had been like before he'd left Cloud. 

He shook his head, pulled his shirt back on and padded down the stairs in his non standard issued socks. The Chocobos had been a gift from Aerith and he'd worn them on every mission, including his last; they'd stored his socks with his boots and he'd been so happy to find them. 

Zack paused before the kitchen, watching Cloud and Tifa move in the bar's kitchen as they made breakfast. 

"So, what was that line about yesterday?" She asked. 

"Huh? Oh you mean _The Princess Bride_. He took me to see a movie in a theater after I told him I'd never been. It was... our little thing, just me and Zack's. I'd remember a quote and he'd say, 'As you wish'. It was a sign of our friendship." Cloud said as he stirred a pot full of oatmeal. 

"That is so cheesy." Tifa laughed and Cloud abandoned the oatmeal for a hot second as he tickled Tifa. She yelped and laughed before she returned with her own, causing Cloud to laugh. 

They paused as they giggled between breaths and then Cloud kissed Tifa, hands gentle as they cradled Tifa's face. She melted and let her fingers thread in Cloud's spikes as they pressed soft kisses to each other's cheeks and lips. 

"I... can't thank you enough for being here with me." 

"I helped put you back together, where else would I be?" She whispered as she kissed Cloud even softer now. 

"Getting a tan in Costa Del Sol?" Cloud teased and she huffed. 

"Yeah, no, I'd be burnt faster than I could smear on sunscreen, Mr. I have a healing factor," she chided but the smile in her eyes told Zack everything as Cloud held her hand but went back to cooking the oatmeal. 

They wove around one another as they grabbed ingredients, stealing kisses and brushing fingertips against shoulder and hip. 

Zack's ache returned again and fiercer than before; he missed Aerith something awful. He padded back up the stairs, took a pee and made noise on his way down this time, another yawn breaking as he touched the floor. 

"Good morning." He shuffled into the kitchen and asked, "Anything I c'n do to help? Dishes, eating...?" 

Cloud's lips tugged up into a smile briefly before he shook his head no. "Just eating, Zack." 

"Are you wearing Chocobo socks?" Tifa asked as she pulled down four plates. 

Zack wiggled his toes as he replied, "Aerith gave them to me for my birthday. I wore these on every mission I had because I promised her that I would." 

"Umm, Zack?" Cloud was looking at where the shirt gaped a little near his side and the scarring showed there. 

"I checked this morning and uh, yeah, this is my body. I've got scars all over my chest, Spike, but it's definitely me." Zack reassured as Cloud looked worried. "Can you show me around, introduce me to your friends?" 

"Well, you've already met Vincent," Tifa hummed as she and Cloud bustled to fill the table in the bar's kitchen. 

"Hey," Zack flashed a brief grin at Vincent, smacking his forehead as he remembered. "Weren't you in a coffin in ShinRa's fire-hazard of a Mansion?" All three of the others traded surprised looks. "When we were clearing out the Mansion, I made sure there weren't any nasty surprises for Seph—not that he couldn't handle them but he was my CO and I did what he asked. Most of the coffins were empty, though one had this neat little Materia and you were in the very center coffin. When did you wake up?" 

"About five years after you pried my coffin lid off and then put it back." Vincent replied as he flicked the cloak to the side to settle into a chair. 

"Huh. World's a smaller place than I thought." Zack responded as the oatmeal, eggs and Fang bacon were put on the table. Coffee in a percolator had him gladly accepting a mug for it.

* * *

After breakfast, Zack helped with the dishes. 

He washed and she dried, the silence lasting all of ten seconds before Zack started talking. Zack had grown used to the chatter of the LifeStream and the way noise was always there, even if it was in the background. 

"I'm sorry for Nibelheim. The real one." 

"You tried to stop him. I can't blame you for something you didn't do." Tifa sighed as she continued to dry dishes and put them away. 

"If I'd been better, Seph would've died the first time around." He murmured. 

"Why... Why do you refer to him so...?" Tifa's jaw worked as she controlled the waft of rage in her scent.

"So casually, you mean? The man was my friend and when he wasn't a megalomaniac set on killing the Planet... He was nice. He had fears and hopes and dreams, just like everyone else. He cried when he got hurt but only where no one could see him. I know he's bad now but he wasn't always that way." Zack admitted. "Hojo fucked him up so badly that he couldn't even see me, his closest friend, as nothing more than an enemy in his way." 

"Hojo... He was trying to breed Aerith and Nanaki. Was he even worse than that?" Tifa questioned somberly. 

"I dont know who Nanaki is but pretty much the only reason the world went to shit was because of ShinRa, Hojo, Hollander and JENOVA. Seph was the culmination of ShinRa money in the hands of hack scientist Hojo who put JENOVA in Seph so it's no wonder he went berserk. Death lends you more hindsight than you'd ever think to ask for, y'know." Zack snorted as he finished washing dishes. "Hojo c'n rot for all I care. He hurt so many people that if the LifeStream spat him out, I'd probably set the guy on fire and return him to it." 

"Oh." 

"Yeah."

* * *

Cloud watched as Zack strapped himself back into his harness and settled the Buster into his back. 

"Think your bike can handle me and the Buster? I mean, I'm a pretty fast runner so I could keep up with-Oh. Nice." 

Cloud hooked a thumb over to an old gas-powered ShinRa motorcycle. Zack mounted it and waited as Cloud mounted Fenrir. They took off, weaving through the remaining streets of Midgar and headed out of the city. The ride was exhilarating and Zack let loose a Gongagan victory cry out sheer joy. They wove in and out of the Kalm bluffs and stopped just short of a familiar cliff-top. 

This was where he'd died defending Cloud from an overwhelming ShinRa force. 

Even years later, the machine gun fire had left scorched furrows in its terrible wake. 

"Last stand, huh? Hey, waitaminute... You did leave the Buster out!" Zack whined. 

He stopped at the sight of yellow lilies growing where the sword had been stabbed into the earth of the cliff. Zack looked away, blinking back tears at the way Aerith had covered his former grave in her flowers. 

When he looked again, a ribbon he remembered buying had appeared and the person he'd bought it for were sprawled amongst the lilies. 

"Aerith?" He wheezed before he parked the bike and distantly he heard Cloud scrambling to get off his own bike. 

"Zack?" She got up slowly, crushed petals falling from her shoulders with a hand pressed to her forehead. "Cloud?" 

"Hey babe," Zack scooped her out of the flowers and cradled her in his lap, Cloud falling to his knees next to them. "Someone wants to see you." 

"Oh Cloud... Come here." 

Zack's arms were full of people he loved and he couldn't be happier if he'd tried in a million years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	4. Aerith Gainsborough, Cetra Reborn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a lot of fun and the Muses are singing! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

The ground dug into Zack's thighs and his arms burned from the weight of two adults but he was reluctant to let go of both of his best friends. All three had drying tear tracks on their faces from the unexpected reunion between the three of them. 

Zack inhaled shakily and pressed a kiss to Aerith's temple and Cloud's hair as he kept a watchful eye for monsters. 

"Zack," He looked down to see Aerith stroking through Cloud's hair as Cloud rested on her shoulder, "we need to talk." 

"I know," he said simply, taking in her beautiful green eyes and the way her hair swayed in the wind up on the cliff. 

"The Planet... She pushed me out but I can still hear her. She's telling us to make the most of what little time she can give to us." Aerith whispered as Cloud tightened his grip by a fraction. 

"How long?" Zack doesn't want to know but it's better to know and be prepared for it. 

"A year, at best, she says, a year and a half if she stops healing the land around Midgar and lets it do it's own work," she answered quietly. "She says... She can arrange for visits afterwards. A few months out of every other year. I don't know what she's thinking about what we'll do while we're here but she's rather insistent." 

A year to live with Aerith and love her as much as he had back then but with a chance at something greater; to reconnect with Cloud and to meet his friends. 

He could live with that, Zack thought, he could live with the memories he'd make here and now.

* * *

Since they were out on the Wastes anyway, Cloud took the lead and they fought together, Aerith in the front with them against the monsters they encountered. 

Zack's body remembered where his mind didn't and his Limit Break crashed over him against a Levikron. 

"I've got a Limit Break!" Zack warned so that Aerith and Cloud would move back as Zack Chain Slashed his way through the Levikron. "Whew... It's been a while. Hey, what d'you say we head home?" 

"Where is home now, Cloud?" Aerith inquired as she yawned. "Oh my." 

"Guess being outta the LifeStream means we gotta rest," Zack clicked his tongue as he supported Aerith. "You alright, Aer?" 

"I am now," she said as she leaned on him. "You still owe me a date, you." 

"I do, don't I?" He mulled as he guided her over to Fenrir because the ShinRa bike has exposed pipes and he doesn't want Aerith to accidentally burn her legs on his bike. "I'll make it up to you." 

"I know."

* * *

Aerith was greeted with happy tears, most of them from Tifa as she hugged Aerith close. Vincent radiated happiness and his scent was heavy with it. 

"What is going on?" She asked as Zack found himself being used as Aerith's pillow on the couch, effectively trapping him for questioning. 

"Ah, long story short? The Planet gave us a second chance. We've been returned to our healed over bodies and we were, uh, we were told to live like it was our last days." Zack shrugged carefully as he responded. "We've got a year, maybe a year and a half before we go back."

"Mmm, our own little miracle." Aerith agreed as she woke up from using his chest as a pillow. "Can we have a picnic? All of AVALANCHE back together for a little while. I'd... like to see everyone again." 

"Way ahead of you; I already sent out messages to everyone. Vincent left half an hour ago to go get Nanaki. They should all be in by the end of the week." Tifa reached for Aerith's hands and gently squeezed them. "Your Mom's house is a bit dusty but I think you and Zack can make it a home." 

"I think Zack and I won't impose on you for too much longer. I've got a lot of work to do in the gardens and Zack can work on repairs." Aerith hummed as she squeezed back. 

"So I'm being voluntold, hmm?" He asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist. Aerith looked up and he smiled like the love-struck fool he was. "Anything for you, honey bun." 

"You can start by repairing my cart." She teased and Zack stuck his tongue out at her in mock-indignation. "I'd put that tongue to better use if I were you." Zack flushed as she rose a brow meaningfully. He lifted her without much effort and slung her across his shoulder. Aerith protested with a laughing, "Zack!" 

"What? You did say put it to better use..." He climbed the stairs with her laughing the entire way, gently dropping her on the bed. "Aerith, listen. I thought about you a lot on my way back to Midgar. If I'd made it... I would've been serious about dating you." 

Aerith inhaled at the implication of dating until marriage. "Well, let's take advantage of what we have." 

Zack sat next to Aerith and cupped her face in his hands. "Can I kiss you?" 

"Silly Puppy, of course you can," She replied before leaning into his touch. "Go ahead." 

Zack's eyes fluttered close as he kissed Aerith with the love he'd been holding back, squeaking when her tongue swiped across his lips first. He let her in and thoroughly enjoyed her exploring him just as much as he was exploring her. They pulled back with ragged gasps and they both giggled. 

"One hell of a first kiss, sweetheart." He breathed out softly, their foreheads pressed together as their hands stroked over back muscles to settle at their hips. Aerith's flushed cheeks made him purr softly as he tilted her head back to nibble along her throat. "Mmm, Aer, gotta stop." 

"Oh, hmm, oh yes. Cloud wouldn't appreciate it." Aerith gasped and Zack pulled back reluctantly, his thumb brushing over her cheek as he did so. "Are you going to go through every endearment?" 

"Until I find one that you like, yeah." He mentioned as he lifted his arm for a side-hug. 

"I like them all, Zack." Aerith confessed as she curled into side, her hair tickling his neck as she pillowed her cheek on his right shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	5. Living With No Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple more chapters and this will be done! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Over the course of the next week, Zack repaired Aerith's cart, the shutters on the windows and fixed every leaky spigot, faucet and the toilets in the house by the time he'd been there. When he was done with his repairs, he helped Aerith haul Chocobo droppings to her replanted flowers and spread it so that they'd grow up big and strong like the ones in the church. 

Zack stole kisses every chance he got and then some, both he and Aerith just as enthralled with each other as they'd been the first night she'd been back. He showered her in affection and in tiny gifts that made the house better or that made her clap her hands in delight. 

He even visited the dress shop and requested a few dresses in every shade of pink he could think of; he'd paid for it with the money he'd earned delivering stuff for Cloud on his own bike. 

"Aerith, honey bee, I'm home!" He called as he kicked off his boots at the entrance, the box of dresses tucked behind his back as he listened for her. 

"In the bathtub, Zack," she called out, her voice echoing against the tiles. "I'm decent." 

He opened the door to the bathroom and grinned at the sight of flowers floating in the water, concealing most of Aerith with enormous petals. Her head was resting on a neck pillow at the edge of the claw-footed tub so Zack stole the stool that was near the tub and sat on it. 

"I brought you something," Zack pulled the box from behind his back and wiggled it enticingly. He leaned in for a sweet peck and hummed as Aerith plucked a flower from the water to tuck it behind his ear. "Almost done with your soak?" 

"I'm getting all wrinkly. I should get out," she sighed as Zack took her hand from the side of the tub and pressed kisses to the back of it. "You look extra dirty. What happened?" 

"I ran smack-dab into a nest of Formulas on my way back home. I need a shower but a tub rinse sounds good too." He shrugged and then winced. 

"You're hurt." 

"Nothing I won't heal from on my own in a few hours, darling." Zack reassured quickly. 

"Shirt. Off. Now." Aerith commanded and Zack balked. "Zack, please?" 

"Okay, okay. Lemme go put this in the bedroom," he surrendered when she narrowed her eyes. Zack set the dress box on the bed and went back to the bathroom, stripping off his armor and his shirt as he went, tossing both into his pile of laundry that he insisted on doing. The gash the biggest Formula had given him was still scabbing over and if he moved too much, it re-opened. 

"In the tub, Zack," Aerith ordered as she finished wrapping herself in a fluffy bath robe. "I won't peek." 

Zack stripped the rest of the way and flicked his pants and underwear in the same pile as his armor. The water was still steaming so Aerith probably had refilled the tub. The lotus blossoms and the water lilies were new though. 

He sat down in the tub and Aerith frowned at the wound. She rolled up the sleeves of her robe and dipped her hand in the water, making it glow bright green as she brought a handful of it over his cut. The water healed it in one go, Zack relaxing as the pain faded entirely. 

"Sorry. I thought I could handle it." He apologized and Aerith gave him a tiny kiss as she leaned on the rim of the tub. "You do realize your hand was like less than a foot from-?" 

Aerith blushed at that. "Well, if we're serious dating, I'll see it at some point, right?" 

"Only if you want to, Aer, and not a second before. I'm not gonna pressure you." Zack reminded her gently. 

"I know that, Zack." She hummed as she ran a sneaky hand up to mid-thigh. 

" _Aerith_..." He rumbled in warning, only getting a cheeky grin in response before she squeezed his thigh and slipped out of the bathroom before he could haul her into a heated kiss. "Oh you little... Too hot for your own damn good sometimes, Aer."

* * *

Zack dressed in PJ pants and a faded T-shirt that had been stuffed with his old personal belongings in the ruins of ShinRa's SOLDIER barracks. 

Aerith was wearing her nightie and a housecoat as she sat near the box, her bare feet tucked under her legs. 

"Open it," he encouraged as he sat on the bed opposite the box. She undid the ribbon, pushed up the top of the box and squealed at the sight of a new dress. Aerith hugged him over the box and he rubbed his cheek against hers before he whispered, "Lift it up." 

"Oh, Zack, how in the Planet's name did you afford these?" She lifted each dress out and spread them across the knitted duvet Elmyra had left behind. 

"Cloud's got me doing Junon deliveries 'cause people pay more to see my mug than his," Zack mentioned. "Something about a new pretty face." 

"I'll have something for the picnic this weekend then," she sighed happily as she lifted the one in a pink very similar to her normal dress but it had stitching in maroon down the sides and it was cut at the thigh instead of the front. "What about you?" 

"What, my uniform's not good enough?" He joked. 

"Do you want to meet my friends in your uniform?" She fired back, mischief sparkling in her eyes. 

"Yup. If it's good enough for Cloud, it's good enough for me," Zack tucked the dresses back into the box before he set it on his nightstand. "You though, you're gonna look fantastic." 

"Sap," she told him and he smiled at her tone. 

"Your sap though."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	6. ShinRa and Proposals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow is Zack a talker when you let him go! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Zack and Aerith stood together, hands clasped tightly as they waited for AVALANCHE to make it to their house. The first person to come through the door was Cloud, followed by Tifa and Zack sighed in relief. 

The third person was a little girl, one that gasped at the sight of Aerith and bolted straight for them. Zack released Aerith's hand and watched as the little girl flung herself into Aerith's open arms. 

"Aerith!" 

"Marlene," Aerith happily greeted as she hefted the little girl up on her hip. "I want you to meet someone very special to me. This is Zack, my boyfriend." 

"Hello." Marlene stuck out her hand and Zack shook it solemnly for about five seconds before he leaned over to peck Aerith on the cheek and steal her free hand. "You're really tall, like taller than Mr. Valentine. See?" 

She pointed to Vincent and it clicked that Valentine must be the man's last name. 

"I'm six foot three. I'm taller than everybody," Zack shrugged as he saw another blond and a black man enter at the same time, bickering companionably over mechanics. "You want any punch, babe?" 

"I'd love some, Zack." 

Zack scooped out two punch cups and found that he was being stared at by a firewolf. If he remembered right, which he usually did, they talked like humans but were often mistaken for beasts. "Hello." 

"Most people don't speak directly to me unless they're AVALANCHE. Who are you?" The soft golden gaze was open and surprisingly unwary. 

"Zack Fair, formerly SOLDIER First Class. I'm currently a full-time boyfriend, delivery guy and party host so," He grinned at his new job description. "Did you want some water or punch?" 

"Water would be nice," The firewolf answered. "I'm Nanaki." 

"Water it is." Zack found a decent-sized bowl and filled it with water. "Here you go."

"Thank you." 

"Welcome." He wandered back over to Aerith and found her being hugged. He waited patiently, being rewarded when she reached for him and laced their fingers again after accepting the punch. "Introduce me, Aer?" 

"So this is my boyfriend, Zack Fair. Zack, this is Barret Wallace and Captain Cid Highwind. They helped us save the world at least once." She gestured and both men chuckled. 

"Ah didn't think ya had a boyfriend other 'n Cloud." Highwind muttered and Zack grinned. 

"I was her boyfriend before Cloud," he clarified and the two in front of him slowly connected the dots. 

"Oh, that was you?" Wallace muttered as he flexed his mechanical hand. 

"So yer th' one Cloud thought he was for a good while." Highwind snorted. 

"Yup. It's okay, Spike wasn't in the right frame of mind to do much else and I forgave him a while ago." Zack admitted as he sipped punch and looked around at the rest of the housewarming picnic/AVALANCHE gathering. "Aerith, was the creepy robo-cat part of your group?" 

"Cait Sith. Which means what's left of ShinRa will know we're back soon." Aerith sighed. 

" _Yaaaay_ ," Zack drawled sarcastically. "Just what I need, more ShinRa."

* * *

**-Two Months Later-**

Tseng showed up while Zack was in the middle of painting the shutters a nice deep green. 

"Hello, Tseng." He greeted as he finished his brushstroke. "I'm surprised it took ShinRa this long to act." 

Zack looked back to see Tseng sitting on the viewing bench he'd built. "Hello, Zack." 

"So, what're you here for?" Zack covered the paint can and wrapped the brush in plastic so that it wouldn't dry out, his arms and cheek dotted with green paint as he joined the Turk on his bench. 

"ShinRa's not what it once was, Zack. A lot's changed since you've been... gone." Tseng answered. "I'm only checking on the rumor of a man with glowing eyes and spiky hair that isn't blond." 

"Seph did a number on you guys, didn't he? I thought I saw more than my fair share in th' LifeStream." Zack offered dryly. "Thought I saw you for a hot minute before you disappeared on me." 

"Vincent saved my life," Tseng said. 

"Ah. So, I guess you didn't see anything?" He prodded cheekily. 

"I'm afraid not," Tseng's tiny smile told Zack more than he expected. "Just a rumor."

* * *

**-Four Months Out of the LifeStream-**

Zack started repairing things outside the house and Zack-the-delivery guy turned into Zack-the-carpenter-plus-other-things. He loved working with his hands and his strength only helped him build things meant to last. 

Aerith's flower business had exploded when people realized she was back, half of the flowers for graves and the other half for celebrations, occasions and other things. 

He was often home long before Aerith was and took to cooking their meals himself. Zack learned by trial and error with his mistakes turning into food for the alleyway denizens. Humming old Gongagan lullabies, Zack chopped potatoes and leeks for an old casserole recipe his Mom used to make. He layered the potatoes, cooked the leeks and layered them before dumping cheese sauce all over his creation and sticking it in the oven. 

"Zack?" Aerith called from the mud room. Zack dried his hands and slung the towel over his shoulder as he walked to the room. Aerith had her staff in hand and a man trembling on the boot bench. 

"Hey babe," he pecked her cheek and waited. 

"He got attacked by Hedgehog Pies between what's left of the Sectors. Would you mind beating them up with the Buster so he can get home safe?" Of course she'd ask for someone else who was defenseless. 

"Sure thing, honey bun. Lemme go get my harness real quick. Keep an eye on the casserole timer, will ya? It's supposed to be done when it rings and sit for fifteen minutes extra." Zack hummed. He slung on the armor straps and belted it into place, pulling the Buster from her custom steel sheath. "C'mon, lets get you home in time for your own dinner." 

"Y-Your lady's real strong. You're l-lucky." The man nervously said, eyes darting to the shadowed corners of Sector Five's remains. 

"I clear the monsters here on a bi-weekly basis. Makes sense to expand my patrol now that my repair jobs are so easy. She's our breadwinner, my honey bun; she sells flowers." Zack enthused as he destroyed the Deenglows, Hedgehog Pies and Ghosts with a few swings of the Buster. 

"I live... over there." The man pointed to a decent structure. "Th-Thank you. How c-can I repay you?" 

"Huh? Ah, this's nothing. Don't worry about it." Zack waved it off, spinning the Buster to tuck her onto his back. 

"Nothing?" 

"Well, what is it you do?" Zack walked the man to the door of the building, being friendly. 

"I-I make cards. Business cards..." 

"Cool. That your shop?" He asked. 

"Yes." 

"Awesome. I'll stop by for an order for my girlfriend. She needs cards t' hand out to her regulars." Zack gently clapped the man on the shoulder and whistled as he took a short-cut home. "Bumblebee, I'm home!" 

"Is that your Mom's casserole?" Aerith answered from the kitchen. 

"Yup," he commented as he kicked off his boots and sheathed the Buster by the door. "That's her favorite one to throw together." 

"Zack?" She sat at the counter, her hair glowing in the light of the sunset and her eyes crinkled at the corners as she spotted him. "Zack, are you alright?" 

He nodded fervently and knelt on one knee. "Aerith Faramis Gainsbororugh, will you do me the honor of marrying me?" 

"Yes." She joined him on the floor and kissed him breathless as he slid the ring onto her finger. "You beat me to it, you big lug." Aerith complained with a teasing pout. 

"Wha-Awesome. My turn!" Zack tugged her off of the floor and sat on the kitchen stool, closing his eyes just to hear her laugh at him. 

"Zackary Fair, would you do me the honor of being my husband?" 

" _Hells yeah_ , honey bun." He held out his hand and watched with a blinding smile as she slipped on a ring that fit perfectly. "Now we can introduce each other as fiancées!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	7. Wedding Bells and Frank Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Zack, he's just trying to tell his friends he's getting married... 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Aerith coaxed her flowers into making wedding bouquets as Zack organized the most important people in their lives. 

"Cloud, Aerith an' I-Holy Typhoon, warn a guy! So, uh, should I make the invites for a double wedding or is that weird?!" Zack yelped as he closed the office door. "Y'all are some _kinky_ fucks..." 

He hopped over the bar counter and mixed himself a drink, strong to shove the eyeful he'd gotten out of his brain. 

"Cloud, you jerk-Oh Leviathan, that's just-! Ugh!" A feminine yelp mimicked his mistake not even a minute ago. "Mix me something that will bleach my brain and make it snappy." 

"Aren't you a little young for alcoh-Princess Kisaragi?!" Zack was surprised to see the Princess all grown up. He'd been gone a long time, he knew, but that just made him feel _old_. 

"Dude, no. Also, how do you even... Oh." Purple eyes looked him over and she said, "Didn't I steal your Materia once?" 

"Yup. You sent it back three days later, telling me it was stupid and that you didn't understand how to work it. To be fair, you were **nine** at the time, not umm... How old are you?" Zack muttered as he knocked back his Mako-laced shot. 

"Nineteen. Now gimme a drink." 

Okay, so she'd earned it. "Only one because damn if Spike isn't a kinky bastard..." 

"Cloud? No, pretty sure it's Tifa, old man." 

"Hey! I'm not old!" Zack protested. "Also, fair point. One drink on Tifa it is."

* * *

The double wedding, because-as it turned out-Cloud _had_ heard him, announcement brought with it what passed for media attention these days. 

Aerith took it in stride, planning both weddings and somehow roping Barret and Marlene Wallace into help her. Zack worked with Cloud, Tifa and Cid on securing enough drinks for the event, both alcoholic and not. They crossed out everything on the list and suddenly it was time for the bachelor/bachelorette parties. 

Zack got Tifa, much to his surprise, the day of his bachelor party. 

"Aerith called dibs on Cloud. Something about a trip down memory lane or something if she got him to cooperate." Tifa explained as she offered her elbow. 

"Memory lane...? I don't think the world is ready for another rendition of Ms. Cloud." Zack quipped as he took her elbow and Tifa busted out laughing. "So what does the greatest bartender this side of the world recommend a bachelor do in Edge aside from get drunk?" 

"Get rid of that SOLDIER energy by clearing the town of monsters and do stupid bets for favors," she answered with a sharp grin that Zack only matched. 

"Oh I like how you think," He chuckled as they equipped their weaponry of choice.

* * *

They cleared most of Edge of monsters by midnight, Zack collecting favors like washing dishes and babysitting privileges and losing favors like mopping the bar or playing bouncer when Tifa didn't feel like it. 

Sitting on top of the ShinRa road's ruins, Zack kicked his feet and confessed quietly, "I'm afraid I'll hurt Aerith our first time." 

"Cloud was like that. We went slow and at my pace until we reached a comfortable compromise. It took us a few rounds to realize that, umm, Cloud needed constant stimulation or a goal or the session was a bust. Hence the kinky shit." Tifa muttered in response. 

"Oh." 

"Cloud hyperfocuses and I'm pretty sure SOLDIERs do it too." She advised. "Pay attention to what her body's telling you. That's all I can say." 

"Thanks. No one else really, umm... Unless you count the Captain and Vincent." Zack mumbled. "Don't really wanna ask what they get up to." 

"Really?! I _knew_ it. I'm splitting the pool with you when I cash in."

* * *

Zack was nervous and he was practically vibrating until Cloud told him point blank, "Remove your pants and do squats until you calm down." 

"Why, you wanna see my boxers?" Zack teased as he did just that, the squats easing his overthinking before he'd even realized it. "Oh. Why aren't you freaking out?" 

"Did it all yesterday with Aerith as she put make-up on my face." Cloud huffed. 

"So there was a resurrection of Ms. Cloud?"

"Cloudette, this time," The sneaky smile almost didn't register until it had nearly slipped off of Cloud's face. 

"Back-water expert." Zack teased and Cloud rolled his eyes. 

"Takes one to know one," his best friend fired back and then, "Wuv, true wuv, that dweam wifin a dweam," 

"As you wish."

* * *

Zack's heart lodged in his throat at the sight of Aerith in a white dress, a few tears escaping the corners of of his eyes as he watched her be escorted down the aisle by Elmyra. He let them fall as he watched his fiancée practically own the entire walkway before she sailed up to him with a blindingly happy smile behind her veil. 

"Zack, I'm so happy," she whispered and then, "Have you been crying?" 

"Only happy tears, honey bun, only happy ones. You're so beautiful." He sniffed and took both of her hands in his as Aerith turned to watch Tifa be escorted by Cid in a heavy cream and red gown and handed off to an equally teary Cloud. 

He and Cloud traded a glance that said it all; 'how the hell did we get so lucky?' 

The vows were said and then—

"The grooms may kiss the brides."

Zack dipped Aerith and kissed her until they pulled back to stare at each other in absolute bliss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	8. Traditions and Partings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. I thought Zack might be less chatty but it look like this is turning into an epic fic by accident? 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

The reception seemed to fly by them as Zack gently fed Aerith cake and she did the same for him. 

Cloud and Tifa cut their slice, looked at each other and smeared it on the other's face with a happy laugh. They wiped their faces and sat at the table together. 

Cloud tapped his glass full of white wine and started with, "So, despite the traditional wedding vows and mostly traditional dresses, we aren't a traditional family. I had a double wedding with my best friends, one of whom I married and the other two were marrying each other!" That earned him a laugh. "I've come a long way and I'm sure I've got more in me. Thank you for attending!" 

Zack stood up and mimicked Cloud for all of five seconds with a solemn face before he smiled. "My turn." 

" _Zaaaack_." Cloud warned and Zack only winked. 

"So who wants to hear about Trooper Cloud and the time his hunting trip-wire accidentally caught a Behemoth on the outer edge of Midgar?" He asked and caught everyone's attention with a single question. 

Cloud slapped his hand over his face and then buried it into Tifa's shoulder. 

"Oh this oughta be _**good**_ ," Cid cackled as Zack launched into the tale. 

"It starts in mid-winter and with the fact that Cloud absolutely _hated_ the Mystery Meat in the cafeteria..."

* * *

Later, when most of the reception has gone on without them, Cloud leaned against Zack and muttered, "Why that one?" 

"Well, uhh, most of the people you hang out with, including me, have been fucked over by ShinRa. I doubt they want to hear about the time you used that same trip-wire to cause Rufus ShinRa Sr. to slam face first into his office floor or Heidegger or how you accidentally caught Sephiroth in the cross-fire." 

"Oh." 

"Yup. Behemoth adventure it was, Spike." Zack pointed out. "Are Aerith and Tifa dancing a tango?" 

Cloud tilted his head to the side and muttered back, "Those are fighting moves; at least the footwork is, anyway. The dance instructor had a hell of a time trying to convince Tifa to be... graceful. So I suggested we go up in tempo, just a little and teach her the one dance that had kicks similar to her fighting style. It actually worked out pretty well considering she almost punched the guy." 

"Huh. He loved Aerith. Said it was a shame she loved flowers so much because she would've made a damn good dancer," Zack responded before he sidled up to Tifa and Aerith and tapped Tifa on the shoulder. "C'n I steal back my Mrs. or do you wanna dance some more?" 

"I'm tapping out. Cloud and I will come say goodbye before we leave," Tifa answered as she pecked Zack and Aerith on the cheeks before leaving them. 

"Hey, honey bun." Zack crooned and Aerith laughed as she wrapped her legs around his waist, the poufy dress trailing down to the floor as Zack held her close. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Oh Zack... I loved every moment and it was as wonderful as I thought it would be as a little girl. I'm glad we came back, even if it's just for a little while." Aerith whispered happily. 

"Me too." Zack held Aerith close and just swayed in place with her, both of their faces buried against each other's shoulders. "I don't know what made the Planet decide to give us a second chance but I'm taking a hold of it and living, _really living_." 

"That timeline she gave us... Do you think there's enough for a baby?" Aerith asked with a catch in her throat. 

"I... If we started trying now, it might be enough, Aer. I can't make any promises though. Hojo did a number on me 'n Cloud." Zack answered soberly. 

"I can check," she pointed out dryly. Right. Cetra. He'd married a person who could talk to the Planet. "Mmm, she says you and Cloud are good to go. That slimy piece of mucus never thought about down there, really, he was busy trying to make you into JENOVA clones." 

"Oh," He was surprised at the relief he felt. Zack would be able to give Aerith her kid, _their kid_ , if it worked out alright. "Well, no time like the present, hmm?" 

"We have to say goodbye first." Aerith chided as she slid down and laced their fingers before adjusting her dress.

* * *

Tifa and Cloud were scrunched up on a chair together, trading lazy kisses and soft caresses that made Zack coo. 

"Zack, I swear to... Oh. You're going?" Cloud looked up and understanding crossed his face. 

"Aerith and I are retiring for the night," Zack agreed. "Have a good honeymoon, hmm?" 

"You too," Tifa got off of Cloud's lap to hug them both, kissing their foreheads. "It's a Nibel tradition. It means good fortune." 

Cloud did the same, only he rubbed his cheek against Zack's and Zack remembered the SOLDIER sign of affection. Zack repeated the move and then pressed their foreheads together. "This is the Gongagan tradition. It means good luck." He did it to Tifa too, all four of them reluctant to part for real for the first time in four and a half months. "We're a phone call away but Icicle doesn't have too good a reception." 

"Costa does and we'll only be a little way away from you two." Cloud mentioned and they all relaxed a little. "Bye." 

"Bye."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	9. Husband and Wife

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zack and Aerith get a little kinky themselves but nothing NSFW! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Zack carried Aerith all the way home, managing not to drop her out of sheer stubbornness when the door knob was eaten by her dress. Aerith opened the door with her hand and Zack stepped over the threshold with her in his arms. "Welcome home, Mrs. Fair." 

"Welcome home, Mr. Fair." 

Both of them paused for a moment before giggling. 

Zack set her down, removed her white flats, kicked off his dress shoes and closed the door with his foot out of habit. "So, Aer-Mmm." He leaned into the kiss, groaning softly as Aerith's fingers tightened around his tie and used it as leverage. "Not that," kiss, "I'm protesting," more insistent kisses, "but maybe," Aerith used her tongue and Zack gave up trying to do anything but please his wife. 

He lifted her up by her thighs and carried her into the bedroom, gently placing her on the bed before stripping with military proficiency down to his boxers. "How do you want me?" 

"Sit on the bed? I, umm, I have something to show you." Aerith stripped slower, peeling her dress down inch by inch and Zack's mouth went dry as she stepped out of her clothes to reveal a lingerie set. It was lacy and light but in a color so dark it was almost black in what little light there was for him to see by. 

"Aerith, you'll be the death of me yet," Zack managed as he clenched his hands into the sheets. 

"Sit against the headboard." Her commanding tone had Zack scrambling to obey and he did just that, his face and chest flushing. "Zack? Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine, honey bun, just really liked that you got all commanding there." He admitted as he kept his hands in the sheets. "I think Tifa might've been right... Kinky shit's the way t' go." 

"Okay," Aerith straddled his thighs, "Put your hands on my hips?" Zack purred and did just that, leaning forward when Aerith put a hand on his chest and pushed him back. "Not yet." 

Oh, this was going to be interesting...

* * *

Zack woke up to Aerith tucked under his chin, naked as a jay bird, her scent heavy with satisfaction. They were thoroughly tangled, his legs intertwined with hers and his chest pressed to hers. 

"Hey." He murmured as she stirred in his grip. 

"Hi." Aerith breathed and they both flushed a little at the way Aerith had used nothing more than her voice to guide Zack through it. "Is it a SOLDIER thing or a Cetra thing?" 

"Mmm, both maybe. I focused on your voice and you're so used to talking to the Planet that the power you use kinda leaked through?" Zack mumured as he dipped down for a soft kiss. 

"I don't suppose it would hurt to ask." 

" _Please_ don't ask the Planet for sex advice," Zack pleaded but Aerith's gaze had already glazed over. "So, what's the verdict?" 

"The Planet directed me to Minerva. She said it was a mix of the SOLDIER's ability to hyperfocus and the Cetra's ability to speak past the physical realm. It'll be like that every time if I talk you through it. She's not sure if touch works the same way." Aerith hummed. 

"Wanna find out?" Zack teased as he trailed his fingertips over the crest of her hip. The memory of Aerith in the throes of passion made him hum softly but he also remembered that she was likely sore from last night. "Do you need anything right now?" 

Aerith wiggled her hips slightly and admitted quietly, "A lower back massage, I think." 

"Yeah. Lemme go get some lotion and a Cure," He detangled them and rolled Aerith onto her front, pulling the covers away to expose her back. Zack cast the Cura first and set it to the side as he massaged out the tension all along her back and shoulders. "There we go. Breakfast in bed for the wife, coming right up." 

"No, no, I'm getting up," Aerith got up on her elbows, thought about it and then snuggled back into the covers. 

"Relax, Aerith," He admonished softly, wrapping her in the blankets and tucking a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "I got it." 

"Okay." She watched him go with soft eyes and Zack felt like the luckiest guy in the whole world.

* * *

When he came back, Aerith was stretching and the covers had fallen around her hips. Her hair had spilled over her shoulders like water and had covered most of her front. 

"There we are, breakfast for the wife. Coffee?" Zack stole back under the covers and settled the tray in Aerith's lap. 

"I could get used to this, Zack. You sure you're up for spoiling me that much?" Aerith nudged him with her elbow as she cradled the mug in her hands. Her hair stuck up in odd places and her mascara had smudged under her eyes but Zack only loved her more for it.

"As long as you'll let me spoil you rotten." He countered as he picked up his own mug and took a drink. "Besides, I married my best friend and I already spoiled you. You didn't think it'd stop because we got married?" 

"People lose their spark." Aerith sounded like she spoke from experience. 

"Hey, uh-uh. Fairs aren't into glass half-empty. Hopepunk is so much nicer than grimdark and we know it." Zack informed her cheerfully. "So, are we all packed for Icicle?" 

"You've mentioned it twice now. What is on the Northern Continent that has you so insistent that we go there?" Aerith questioned as she dug into her toast, eggs and her coffee. 

"Cloud told me that there's, uhh, recordings of your Mom and Dad. We'll only be there long enough to take the tapes with us or watch them and leave." He mentioned and Aerith set down her mug in surprise. "I was hoping to spend the rest of our honeymoon at Cosmo so you can talk Planet stuff with Nanaki if you want or we can explore together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	10. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zack sure does sing when you give him less than half-an-inch and he turns it into a mile! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Aerith packed warm with lots of layering and then a few sun dresses. 

"What're those for?" He asked.

"I thought, maybe, on our way to Icicle... We could see your parents?" She suggested as she zipped up the rest of her luggage. 

"Aww, Aer... I don't know if I wanna do that to them." Zack protested weakly, "They gotta think I'm gone by now." 

"What was that about glass half-full and hopepunk earlier?" Aerith fired back with a dangerously determined moue. 

He opened his mouth to answer and then wilted. "I don't wanna get their hopes up." 

She softened at that, her hand sliding into his as she squeezed it in reassurance. "The Planet did say that we could come back." 

"Alright, we'll go."

* * *

Though the journey itself was familar and as boring as it had ever been, Zack drove the truck. He did enjoy seeing Aerith's reactions and how she loved the green she saw the closer they got to his hometown. Zack drove as close to the forest as he dared and concealed it with enormous jungle leaves after they parked. 

He'd been warned by all of them that the Reactor had blown but to see that it had been eaten by the jungle in less time than he'd been dead was hard to take in. Zack was just thankful that his hometown had survived. 

"Is that... That's Alric's boy," Ms. Nenna, his elementary school teacher. 

"Can't be, he's been gone ten years or so now." The grouchy old general store owner, Mr. Jorgi. 

"He got married. Look at those rings." Mrs. Destrion, local weapons smithy. 

He waved and they all pretended like they weren't talking about him or Aerith. 

"Wasn't that girl here before?" 

"She looks better. What happened to the blond boy she was with?" 

"Seemed she moved onto our little Zack." 

Zack's jaw worked and he turned around, making sure to project his voice. "I'm a SOLDIER, which means I can hear everything you're saying about me and my wife. Yes, I got married, yes I got into SOLDIER and the blond is my best friend who just got married to a nice gal, though that's none o' your business either. Damn gossip hounds." 

The silence that they left in their wake was gratifying in ways Zack couldn't explain. 

"Zack? Zack, baby, is that you?" Mom asked and Zack practically speed-walked to see his Mom with grey streaks in her black hair. He let go of Aerith just for a moment and hugged his Mom as close as he could. "Oh Zack, you're home." 

"Only for a little bit, Ma. I want you to meet-" 

"Your wife. Heard you clear across town, baby." 

"Hi, I'm Aerith." Zack wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her temple as Mom sized her up. "You must be Francesca." 

"None o' that, I'm Fran to you." Mom chided softly and she smiled at Aerith as she beckoned them inside. "Tea?" 

"Oh yes, please." Aerith settled where Zack guided her and he set the Buster down with care. "Did you know that Zack cooks your meals at home?" 

"That's news to me, considering he used to burn water before he left," came the teasing answer. 

"So there was some trial and error, Ma. I made your potato casserole a few weeks ago and it was really good." Zack protested as he sat next to Aerith, gently squeezing her knee as he took a drink of tea. "Aerith loved it so much she proposed t' me." 

"How long have you been married?" Mom asked as she looked them over. 

"What? Little less than a week," Zack calculated quickly. 

"We were dating for almost five years, though, so our engagement was quick." Aerith added, counting back from when Zack had found her in the LifeStream. 

Mom lit up at that. "She proposed to you?" 

"Mutual proposal! I asked her an' then she pouted 'cause she wanted to propose so I closed my eyes and she proposed too. It was great. We had casserole to celebrate." Zack chirruped and Mom shook her head at his enthusiasm. "We had a double wedding with my other best friend and his gal. I think Tifa put something in my item pouch before we left..." He dug around in his pouch and came up triumphantly with a photo album that had a plaque engraved with the words, 'Fair-Strife Double Wedding'. "Yup!" 

Aerith cracked it open and laughed at the first shot of Cloud and Tifa smearing cake on each other's faces. Underneath it was Zack carefully feeding Aerith a forkful of cake as she did the same to him. 

Their first dance, their wedding kiss... Whoever had taken the shots was amazing with a camera and had a steady hand. 

Zack peaked at the cover and found the photo credit. 

—Shot by C. Highwind and complied by V. Valentine.

'Kid, if you need copies, here's the address.' 

Aerith had paused on a page that said, 'To Fill as Desired' with a white cardstock note tucked into one of the picture places. 

'There should be a camera with Polaroid film so that you and Aerith can take pictures of the places you honeymoon.' 

—Cloud 'n Tifa Strife 

P.S. There's another photo album when you get home. 

Zack found the camera and immediately snapped a photo of him, his Mom and Aerith because he had the longest arms out of all three of them. He waved the photo for a moment and grinned as it turned out alright. Zack gave it to Aerith, who tucked into the space next to the note. 

"We'll fill it with memories, Zack." Aerith said as she drew him into a soft, chaste kiss. 

"Yeah, we will." He replied as he pecked her on the nose just to see it wrinkle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	11. Lost Opportunities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done! Whew. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

After they promised to visit again, Zack and Aerith set off for the Northern Continent and Icicle Inn. 

The camera somehow found its way into Aerith's hands. 

She took shots of everything from random monster herds to Zack passed out in the truck's passenger side after he taught her how to drive on the fairly straight road to Costa Del Sol. Zack stole it back and took shots of Aerith kicking ass in battle, Aerith laughing and plenty of shots of them kissing in various spots. 

They'd asked hunters to take a few shots of them together and even ended up helping some hunters with some nasty wounds that Aerith healed with her Greater Gospel water poured over the wound. 

By the time they drove past the hotel Tifa and Cloud had picked for their honeymoon, the wedding album was nearly full. 

Zack had turned over the cardstock, folded it in half and had stapled it to the center of the page it had been tucked into with the words 'Honeymoon Roadtrip' scribbled out in a hasty scrawl.

* * *

The ferry that took them to Icicle was chilly, enough so that Aerith stuck to Zack because he gave off heat like a furnace. 

"Why was my Mom here? It's cold, there's barely any green things..." Aerith questioned, not really expecting Zack to answer but he did anyway. 

"I think she met your Dad," Zack answered on a hunch. 

"Oh." Aerith snuggled close and they watched as the ice shelf of the Northern Continent came into view.

* * *

The driver of the snow plow that took them to Icicle Inn kept glancing over to look at Aerith and then away again. 

Zack was patient but this was borderline ridiculous. "Why do you keep looking at my wife?" 

The snow plow stopped and the driver paled. "N-nothing." 

"My husband means well," Aerith smoothed the situation over as she patted Zack's arm. "Do I look familiar or like someone you know?" 

"You look like Ifalna." 

"That was my mother's name," Aerith admitted as the driver started the plow up again. "She lived here for a while or so I heard." 

"She's back with that 'Stream she told stories of?" The driver asked quietly. 

"Yes." 

"Ain't never seen a SOLDIER up close b'fore either but you seem alright. We had a blond one up here a while ago but he didn't say much and left even sadder." 

"He's a close friend of ours." Zack responded softly as the drive continued through the thick drifts of snow.

* * *

The innkeeper blanched at the sight of Aerith, as did some of the patrons. 

"I-Ifalna?!" 

"She was my Mom," she corrected as she handed Zack her coat but not her scarf and settled next to the roaring fire. "My name's Aerith Fair." 

"Little Aerith's all grown up... You look just like her, 'cept she didn't wear no ribbon." The inn mistress sat next to Aerith and took her hands to look her in the eyes. 

"I came here to see the tapes if they're still viable. Mom and I didn't have a lot of time together and I've never seen my Dad and I was wondering..." Aerith blinked back tears, wiping at them as Zack hung up her coat, his own coat and sat next to her on the loveseat. 

Everyone fluttered as they got her tea, blankets and a hand-held device that the tapes had been backed-up on for safety reasons. They all pulled back as the recording started with, ""Ifalna, do you mind if I record this for posterity's sake?"" 

"Of course, Gast. The world needs to know about The Calamity-That-Fell-From-The-Sky..."" Ifalna sounded so much like Aerith that it made Zack ache at the lost opportunity to connect more between mother and daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	12. One Fair, Two Fair, Three Fair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bby!Fair~ I've never written a fic like this but I thoroughly enjoyed it! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Zack held Aerith close as she cried, rubbing slow circles on her back as she hiccuped and started humming Gongagan lullabies when she sniffled, "I lost so much, Zack, so much with her gone." 

"I know, honey bun," he crooned softly. "Our kiddo will know that they're loved." 

"Zack?" 

"Yeah?" 

Aerith sniffled again and then confessed quietly, "I think missed my period." 

"I've got some stuff." Zack soothed. "You wanna go check with a pee test or do we just use a Sense Materia like actual adults?" 

"You can do that?" She blurted out as she sat up. 

"Yeah. 'Swhat Nanna did when she was midwife. Said it was th' fastest way of figuring out if a kiddo was okay." He followed her up and reached into his pouch for both items. "So?" 

"Both?" 

"Go read the pee test, I got this." Zack concentrated on the Materia and cast it on just Aerith, the read out showing two signs of life instead of one. "Umm, well, first off, Nanna Fair was a badass for casting this bare-handed multiple times a day. Second, I see two signs-eek!" 

Pillows went flying as Aerith ran to the bathroom with the words "I'll be right back!" Three agonizing minutes later and Aerith flew out of the bathroom holding the test in her hand with the pregnant color on the tab. "I need to wash my hands." Within moments, she was back on the bed and hugging Zack as hard as she could while whisper yelling, "We did it!" 

It hit like a ton of bricks but Zack wrapped his arms around her and whispered back, "Holy Typhoon, I'm gonna be a _Dad_."

* * *

Fatherhood started early, Zack found, especially when Aerith got sick a lot her first trimester. He braided back her hair, fetched water and learned pressure points from Tifa to keep Aerith in relative comfort during her morning sickness. 

"Why did I want... this again?" Aerith moaned as she clutched the edge of the toilet. 

"'Cause when you're not sick, you love the little bean," Zack pointed out and she gave a full body shudder that signaled she was done emptying her stomach for the day. 

He gave her a glass of water for her to rinse her mouth out and set it to the side when she was done. Zack lifted her up as gently as possible and settled her on the couch, Behemoth meat broth cooling on the coffee table and herbal tea releasing curls of steam. 

"You're a saint, Zack," she sighed as Zack spooned up broth and waited. 

"I'm your husband and a Dad. I got you into this situation and it's my job to make you as comfy as possible because I love you." He answered with a smile as she took the spoon to eat. Aerith cleared the bowl and then practically hugged the mug of tea. "You want the heat-pad or me?" 

"You," she said and Zack set aside his coffee to hold Aerith. "I'm sorry I'm sick all the time." 

"Hey, hey, I believe one of those vows were, 'In sickness or in health', so I'm sticking to it. You want a back rub, foot rub? More tea?" He countered before he stuck his tongue out. 

Aerith gave a soft snort as she cupped his face and kissed him, soft and grateful before she murmured, "More tea? I think the broth's settling now." 

"You got it, honey bun."

* * *

The second trimester brought with it the release of the morning sickness and the start of an incredibly energetic Aerith. 

She sold flower bouquets and her glow meant that her customer base swelled to unprecedented numbers. Along with her customer base, the flower fields around their house exploded with blossoms of every shape and size. 

Fully grown food trees began cropping up when Aerith needed to let out her energy and Zack, in a moment of clarity, realized why Ifalna had chosen the frozen North as her pregnancy spot when she'd gone into hiding. 

Happy, well-fed, well-balanced and pregnant Cetra caused extreme and rapid growth of plant life. 

The Midgar Wastes went from Wastes to grasslands under Aerith's careful hand, the power of not one but two Cetra rumbling under her skin. 

"The Planet wasn't expecting us to have a child but she's estatic." Aerith admitted as they had salad before a healthy dinner and heavy roses taking pride of place in the centerpiece. 

"Do you think they're a Cetra because of our time in the LifeStream?" Zack questioned as he dug into the calorie rich meal. 

"None of her avatars have an answer, though Bahamut suggested hybrid vitality; a SOLDIER and a Cetra never had a relationship before us. The baby's got both Cetra and SOLDIER strengths and maybe their weaknesses. We won't know until they're born." She allowed as she stroked her hand over her swollen stomach.

* * *

Late into the second trimester, Aerith yelped from where she was tending to the rose bushes. Zack looked up from cleaning the Buster and bolted for her, skidding to a halt as she let out a delighted laugh. "Zack, they kicked!" 

"Yeah? Gimme a SOLDIER kick, kiddo." Zack cooed as he dropped to his knees and got a solid connection to his palm from a tiny foot. "Nice. Have you gotten an impression or are we still going for the green 'n yellow paint scheme?" 

"Still green and yellow. I have a feeling the jelly bean won't reveal themselves until they're good and ready. Help me up?" Aerith wryly offered as she stuck her hands up. 

Zack tugged her up and supported her lower back as she swayed in place for a moment to get her balance. "What about names, though? I've thought about using Dad's name." 

"Mmm, yeah. Alric Skye or Ifalna Francesca for names. Oh," Aerith yawned and then pouted at her stomach. "Nap time for Mommy, I guess."

* * *

Three full albums and a half-full one sat on the bookshelf in the living room, one of them detailing Aerith's pregnancy from the day they'd found out. 

Aerith had been relegated to bed rest for the last month of her pregnancy because she'd spotted at seven months. 

Zack had handed over the photo albums when she'd asked for them and then she'd asked for a third for jelly bean. 

She took on the task of showing their kid how much they loved them and succeeded with her handwritten notes on the backs of the photos and then taped over them so that the messages wouldn't smear if they were handled. 

Zack had put it up on the shelf when it had filled up and immediately went to go get her another one. 

Now it was practically the military standard of hurry up and—wait. 

The newest Fair was taking their sweet time coming out now that it was in the final month.

* * *

He woke up to a completely soaked bed and an upset Aerith. 

"I really liked that duvet... Mom made that for me when I was ten." The knitted duvet had suffered the worst of Aerith's water breaking. 

"We'll rinse it out real quick and hope that it comes out or ask Elmyra how to fix it, honey bun. We gotta get you the hospital." He countered warmly as he did just that while Aerith leaned against the wall. 

Zack snagged the packed baby bug-out bag, gently lifted Aerith and set her down on the fresh towel he'd put in the truck not even hours ago. 

Traffic was light, thankfully, and Zack parked before he retrieved Aerith and carried her into the facility. 

"Hi, my wife's water broke, what-"

"Ten minutes ago." 

"Yeah, that. What do I gotta do to be in there with her?" He asked as he let Aerith slide into the wheelchair someone had thoughtfully retrieved. 

"Well, sir, you'll have to fill out these-" 

"Mr. Fair, she's ready?" Eileen asked as she spotted him with the baby bag. "I'll walk you through those really quick, Zack, so you can go be with your Missus." 

"Awesome. I'm gonna be a Dad!"

* * *

Ifalna Francesca Fair entered the world with a Gongogan victory cry and Zack couldn't be prouder. When they gave her to Aerith, she suckled right off the bat and was such a healthy baby that the staff was utterly delighted. 

After someone laid a towel over his shoulder and handed her to him did he realize how fragile Ifalna was compared to his SOLDIER strength. Zack burped her gently, cradling her in his arms and being absolutely stunned by his daughter. 

He watched over her and then over Aerith when she slept with Ifalna pressed close to her until he stole a chair to sleep near them. Cloud would take second shift when he arrived...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	13. Sacrifice and Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the end! That is officially the last time I let Zack do what he wants....
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Ifalna turned out to be a natural subject for the Polaroid camera. Zack and Aerith ran through film as they filled even more albums by months. 

First bath, first diaper poop, first ever raspberry on her tummy; everything embarassing thing parents kept, they did and then some. 

Ifalna was a happy, chubby baby and Zack had fallen in love with her at first sight much like he had with Aerith. 

Both were keenly aware of their shortening time on the Planet and made up for it with zeal in every moment they spent with Ifalna. They knew they might miss her walking stage but they could at least see her attempts to crawl or roll. 

He was watching her with a soft look on his face when she grunted and pushed with her feet until her butt was swaying in the air. 

"Aer, c'mere. I think she's gonna roll." He breathed out in his excitement. 

"Oh! Go baby, go!" Aerith cheered and Ifalna rolled over with a happy squeal. "Yes, who's an amazing girl? You are! Yes you are! Here's a bottle for your reward, hmm?"

* * *

As their time drew closer and closer, Zack realized that Ifalna needed Aerith for a lot more than just three months and a week. 

He dipped his fingers into the pond inside of Aerith's church and spoke to the Planet, his voice cracking as he did. "Aerith needs more time with Ifalna. It's not right that we're leaving our baby girl all alone. C'n I trade the rest of my time here so that Ifalna has more with Aerith? I'd rather miss Ifa and Aerith than separate them. Please, I **know** I'm asking a lot... But _please_. Two happy Cetra have gotta be better than one SOLDIER who did his job." 

The water glowed a brilliant green and Zack braced for impact but never felt it. 

**_We cannot ask a hero to sacrifice himself more than once. Are you certain?_**

"Yes." Zack choked out, tears falling as he finished. "For them, I'd do it." 

**_You will see them again, hero. Have faith._**

The last thought he had was that he hoped it was worth every moment Aerith shared with their daughter.

* * *

**-Epilogue-**

Zack found himself surrounded by water and the bubbles that escaped were out of pure joy. He broke the surface to see Ifalna and Aerith already reaching for him and above all, the scent of yellow and white lilies told him he was _home_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
